Even Dead He's Still The Hero
by SdeJP
Summary: Peter turns up whipped, needing help, but after his mentor's pep-talk, he's raring to go, again.


"Stop!" Peter shouted, begging to be listened to. He was shaken up, he could barely limp to Happy and the jet Tony had owned.

Hap's eyes widened, the man clearly confused. He listened, obeyed, halting his run toward Peter. _What happened to him_?

"Tell me something only you would know," the teen implored. His pale face crumpled, and the desperation in his voice betrayed his mistrust. Maybe this wasn't Happy, just another of Mysterio's sadistic shams.

Happy hesitated briefly. He thought, striving to come up with something he could use to assure the shook hero. Peter looked so broken, so lost; Happy took in Peter's tears. _Think of something—quick_! He kicked his brain cells into high gear. Not the best memory, but he blurted out some seedy story about private videos bought in Germany…

Peter released a bated breath, which had Happy wondering if Peter had been breathing at all. Relieved, he staggered through the parcels of brightly colored tulips. Reaching the security guard, he collapsed in his arms. Happy's hugging him was brief, but comforted Peter, exactly what he needed. "Happy!" He gasped, frantic. I've messed up! I've messed up _so _badly. How do I fix it? How do I make it better?"

They separated, with Happy scrutinizing Peter, feverish for an explanation. "I _know _you, Peter Parker. I know that whatever has happened, however bad it is, it would _not _have been your intention. We're going to fix this, you hear me?"

Peter nodded, but still looked inconsolable. Happy discerned the same determination adamant in Peter's eyes, akin to what he'd seen in Tony's thousands of times. How sad the mentor wasn't here to rally round his mentee. Aboard the jet, Peter took Happy's first aid in stride; getting stitched up like this hurt, but what hurt even more was having been whipped and deluded by a contemptible charlatan as he'd been. Peter had his head in his hands. He wanted to cry some more, but something inside him told him to suck it up.

"I'm listening. Tell me what happened?" He knew it wouldn't be the same, but Happy gave it a try anyway, trying to exude the same iron-like confidence Tony always used to have. He'd just had a knack for quelling Peter's fears, and satisfying the kid's brilliant mind.

Squirming, Peter replied, "I gave—I gave the EDITH glasses to Mysterio! He's gonna use them to kill MJ and Ned—the rest of my class, and _half of Europe_!"

Happy blinked, before deflating like a burst balloon. "I'm sorry to hear that," he murmured, downcast. "Who's got them?"

"I shouldn't be shouting—it's just—I gave him the only thing Mr. Stark left me. Now they're _gone. _I was too stupid, didn't know what was going on. I've let Mr. Stark down. G_iving our enemy,_ Mysterio, the most powerful tech in the world. How am I gonna get it back? How do I keep everyone safe from danger that _I've _caused?" Peter shook, feeling utterly useless. His eyes bore into Happy's, searching for the way out of this disgusting predicament. "What do I _do?_" His voice cracking with emotion so badly, the latter portion of the question almost indecipherable.

Happy gently placed a hand on the Peter's shoulder. "Kid," he said through a sigh.

Peter flinched at his use of the term his mentor would often use. "Tony would be so disappointed in me." A sob erupted from him, a sound fraught with torment and anguish. He clenched his eyes shut. _No more tears_! _Enough already_!

Happy drew him into another strong hug. "Tony would never be disappointed in you, Peter. He thought the world of you, there was no doubt about it, but he knew firsthand that nobody's perfect. Tony made more than his fair share of mistakes. He'd never expect you to live perfect. He'd have done anything for you, starting with helping you plan how to fix this. I don't think he would have done what he did if he didn't know that you'd still be here after he was gone." Getting quiet, Happy all of a sudden shouted, "Oh!" He rushed to the back of the jet's cabin. "_Oh, yeah!"_

"What?" Peter asked in alarm. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing!" An uncharacteristic grin seized his face. "I just remembered that Tony can tell you himself! This was what he was talking about!"

Peter felt his heart stop. The jet's lights went way too bright. "What?" His world tilted on its axis. "What do you mean?"

A determined Happy accessed a compartment, letting out a triumphant noise as he removed a Stark laptop. Happy turned on the device, and handed it to Peter. A tropical island lock screen wallpaper popped up. Peter considered the password bar that asked for an 8-digit code. Blanching, Peter glanced at Happy.

He shrugged, unable to help with that. "Tony, in the event of an untimely demise, which did…you know…happened, prepared for the unthinkable. Happy's voice had grown thick. "He recorded messages for Morgan until she's twenty-one, for Pepper, for me, and Rhodey. He believed in you, kid, but he knew you don't always believe in yourself. He _knew _that, and made a video especially for you, etcetera etcetera. It's all there in the laptop. The password is something 'inside' that you know."

It took a moment for Peter's comprehension to solidify. Tony had thought he was worthy enough to have left him a message. The billionaire had had that much faith in him. He had updated Peter's suits, and the internship he'd been doing since after the events of his homecoming. So, on top of all that, Tony had created a personalized message! Like _family_! _I was like a son to him_? Peter's spirits soared.

_Password—password—password…think, think, think! What can it be_?

It must be something only he and Tony would know. Nothing too generic that it could be easily guessed. An identifiable cryptogram associated with them, and something solely Peter could work out. Desperation clogged in his throat, mocking his ability to concentrate. He cleared his mind, and started again. _Wait_! His hands deftly flew across the keyboard. The password box turned green. Relief flooded Peter.

UNDEROOS

In all caps…

Tony's pet nickname for him brought more tears to Peter's eyes. He hadn't readily embraced the moniker; gradually it had grown on him. Tony had loved calling him that. The lock screen dissolved. A video message soon evidenced. His handsome, dashing mentor sat in his favorite armchair. The EDITH glasses were dutifully in place.

Peter's breath caught. The background noise in his mind overshadowed reality. He tried tuning it out.

_A graveyard loomed large. A crooked tombstone permeated Peter's vision. The name 'Anthony Edward Stark' engraved in simple cursive writing filled him with renewed grief._

The hiss of Mysterio's evil voice tormented him: "If you were good enough _, _maybe Tony would still be alive."

Peter clapped his hands over his mouth, strangling sobs. Mysterio was right; Tony died because of him. Why hadn't he been better? Had tried harder? In Peter's mind's eye, a destroyed, faulty Iron-man suit emerged from a coffin, with one haunted eye trained solely on him. The other hollow eye socket filled with dark spiders. The spiders scuttled towards Peter. He backed away in horror, just fast enough to evade the vice grip of the iron-man wreckage, its arm reaching for him. Over, and over, Mysterio's words slammed through his mind.

"If you were good enough, Tony would still be alive…"

Jolted, Peter exclaimed, "I don't know if I can do this!" His eyes shrank from Tony's crisp image on the screen.

"Yes, you _can, _Peter," Happy said firmly, his tone considerate. "He knew that you'd need this reassurance."

"I miss him so much," the callow hero whispered, his voice cracking to pieces. Tears swam in his red, bleak eyes. "_Everywhere_ I go, I see his face. A-and all the reporters keep asking me if I will _r-replace _him. I _can't, _Happy, I can't! I'm not ready for him to be gone. I want him—need him back! That's what I need!"

Happy pulled him into a fierce hug, and Peter dissolved into heaving sobs that wracked his whole body. "Kid, I miss him too. He was my _best-est_ friend in the whole wide world. But, remember this: Tony was his own man, who always made his own decisions." Over Peter's sniffles, Happy saw determination seep back into the kid's eyes.

"You're right. He always did. I've got to too." Peter, steadying himself, pressed play, ready for anything. He glued his eyes to the screen, not wanting to miss a single detail despite knowing he'd repeat the video more than a few times.

Tony wore loose jeans and a faded MIT T-shirt. His hair even looked casual, and his EDITH glasses hung from the V of his shirt. This reminder of how Tony had been with Peter, when he felt like he could truly be himself with his young mentee, caused the teen's breath to catch. He missed seeing Tony being himself.

"Hey, Underoos," Tony greeted with a sly smile on his face, and if Peter thought _seeing _Tony through this video was painful, hearing his voice and being called Underoos again was excruciating. Peter steeled himself, shutting out the pain.

"I don't know what's going to happen, but I do know that Strange gave up the time stone to save my life. That means something—has to." Tony's conversational tone warmed Peter's heart to the cockles. Like old times, having one of their usual discussions about suit upgrades, or the fate of the planet…Tony's admiration of Aunt May. Admiration, or unapologetic crushing? Peter preferred not to think about that. "If he could only see us winning one out of fourteen million odd fights, you can be absolutely sure that I'm bringing you all home, no matter what the cost. I _have _to get you back, Pete, I have to."

Peter was crying, lifting up a hand up, unfazed by his tears. He glanced at Happy, who was watching the video too, struggling to keep his facial expression neutral. Peter latched on to Happy's hand, and the head of security gave him an inquiring look as though the kid had lost his mind. Peter shot him a reassuring smile, so like him doing something so schmaltzy like that. Happy didn't pull his hand away.

Tony continued: "It's been five years since we've worked in the lab, or gone on a Spidey-Iron patrol. Or eaten pineapple pizza. Watched Star Wars. Hey—I _need you to be alive_, Pete. The world needs Spider-Man, but _I _need Peter Parker alive."

Tony's eyes softened, his voice was quieter as he continued speaking. "I know you, Pete, so I know what you'll be thinking if this fight with Thanos really does kill me. You'll feel guilty. You'll feel like you have to step up, without giving yourself time to grieve. If there's anything you take away from this message, even if it's just one thing, it needs to be this: Y_ou don't owe anyone anything_. I owe _you_."

Peter felt as though his lungs had just collapsed. Distantly, he felt Happy squeeze his hand.

"First—and I hope you're taking notes, Underoos, take time out if you need to. Or, don't take time out if you need to. Do what _you need_. Not what you think the world needs you to do. I don't know what's going to happen to the rest of the team in this fight. Get this first and foremost—you're under no obligation to join the Avengers. If you want to stay in Queens, ignore _everyone_ except those you trust. Act on your instincts ok, kid? You can't save anyone if you're too preoccupied feeling pressured. Save yourself first.

"Second: I'm trusting you not to post any of these as motivational Tony Stark soundbites. Got that? None of this is, or ever will be your fault. I've known for the last five years that this is how it had to end. You're…you're _gone, _kid. I'm sitting here talking to my Iron Man helmet. The point I'm making is that I already know how this fight is gonna go. Hey, you're not even on this planet. You had _no way _to know what was going to happen, but _I_ _did_. Underoos, I'm facing it head on. Don't feel bad about this, Pete, which is the last thing I want. Yes, I'm doing this to bring you back. I'm also doing this to bring _Everyone _back. You think I can cope with the talking raccoon whining about his band of intergalactic freaky friends being dusted for one more second if I could do something about it?"

Peter had to laugh at that Tony-jibe. On instinct, he raised his hand to the screen, resting his palm against Tony's cheek and closed his eyes. A few deep, stuttering breaths escaped him, helping him refocus.

Tony took a moment to collect himself. Going on, he looked directly into the camera. It was easy for Peter to believe that his mentor was before him, looking him straight in the eye the way he used to when Tony needed him to understand how sincere he was. A sincere Tony stark was a beautiful thing.

"Peter, what you have to know is that I care about you—a lot. I know Rhodey sounds off about my helicopter parenting and giving you five-hundred plus web shooter combos—but he's _right. _It took me a while to see this. Through all of the denial and absolute _terror _that I'd mess up with you as badly as my father did with me, I really, really hope I didn't, kiddo. My definitive opinion? We make a great team. The truth? After Morgan was born, I realized having a kid wasn't foreign. I already had one. YOU. There's nothing I wouldn't do to protect you both! If I need to sacrifice myself to rid the cosmos of that ape-ugly alien, I won't hesitate. It'll keep Morgan, Pepper, you, the rest of the team, and the _world _safe. If that's what it comes to, it is what it is. I'll _never_ regret the self-sacrifice. _Not ever_." Tony's voice had become thick at that point. There were tears in his eyes. Peter rested his head on Happy's shoulder. He cried some more, thoroughly unashamed. As painful as this was, Spider-Man needed to hear all of it; it was _helping_.

"My hugest regret is knowing that I won't be there to see Morgan and you grow up into the wonderful, selfless, loving people I know you both are going to be. I _love you both—more _than I ever thought loving was possible. I guess I finally got mature, huh? Whoa…not as scary as that idea once was. Who'd a thunk it?"

Tony's choking breath made Pete and Happy hold their breaths. The handsome hero wiped his eyes with the palms of his hands. Next time he spoke, his voice was strong. "You mean the world to me, Pete. You always have, always will. When you think of me, never feel sad. I love you 3000."

Tony owned the camera, made a peace sign as the screen slowly faded to black.

Happy and Peter were silent for a long while, still holding hands. At length, Peter closed the laptop, and stood. With his back ramrod straight, his feet shoulder-width apart, he carried himself like a man about to embark on a do-or-die mission, just like his illustrious mentor had carried out. Happy embraced Peter's palpable determination, filing it away in the recesses of his mind.

"So what's the plan, kid?" Happy asked.

Peter drilled into his eyes with a contented smile that lived in his own eyes. "I'm doing a Tony. I'll kick Mysterio where it hurts most, and get EDITH back. _I've got this_."

"I know you do, kid. I know you do…"


End file.
